A memorable first meeting leads to a fun and flirty romance with a swoon-worthy hero and appealing heroine in a slow-burn journey to HEA. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Charmed By the Player by Carina Rose, along with getting my impressions of it, which will have you wanting to add this third installment in the Never Say Never Football Romance series to your bookshelf!
Things I hadn’t expected to happen on my birthday…
1. To go from brunette to orange when I was aiming for blonde.2. To run into my ex and his new girlfriend, who happened to be sweeter than my favorite candy bar.
3. To literally collide with a wall of muscle belonging to Lucas Donovan, the extremely sexy cornerback on the Virginia Thunder.
Did I say collide? No, I didn’t just collide, I lingered. How could I not? The man smelled like a dream, felt like heaven, and looked like a Greek god. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought my best friend wished him for me when she helped me blow out my candles. She was all about me finding Mr. Right, except I’d never been lucky in love...nor was I looking.
And despite all of his wonderful attributes, Lucas wasn’t my type. So when he asked for my number, I declined. Why? Because I knew he had cleat chasers and numerous athletic supporters at his beck and call. Totally not my scene. Instead, I decided to chalk our encounter up to a perfect ending to a perfectly messed-up day.
Thinking I’d never see him again, I was shocked when he popped into my store to ask me out on a date. To say I was thrown a bit off - kilter would be an understatement. Maybe that was why I eventually accepted. Or it could be because I knew my best friend would disown me if I kept turning him down. Not to mention, the man had enough charm to fill my boutique and then some.
Finally happy, I figured my luck had changed. Maybe Lucas Donovan was my Mr. Right. But then my past slammed into my present. And all I wondered was what that meant for our future.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Not having read a book by Ms. Rose before I eagerly jumped into this one...and oh, what a delight I found it to be! A charming first meeting, a drool-worthy hero, and an endearing heroine, all collide to make this a fun and flirty romance with a bit of steam and lots of heart and soul. Readers will find this a delightful read with only a bit of bumpiness in an otherwise smile-inducing tale that had me eagerly turning the pages.
Lucas Donovan is a football god, both on and off the field, with men wanting to be him and women wanting him. He's a man who has everything, a man used to getting whatever he wants with ease. The moment he meets the woman with orange hair though everything changes. He has to come up with a new game play with her as she's not the kind of woman to fall easily at his feet. He soon becomes a man on a mission and is slow and steady in winning her over, showing support for her hat design business and appreciation of her talent...there's nothing sexier. Every step of the way Lucas is a sweet and sexy hero, loving to his sister, more than what others think him to be as he's more than just a pretty face. His words and deeds are what every woman wants when it comes to romance and when fate intervenes in their fragile, burgeoning romance he becomes the King of Grand Gestures in claiming Harley completely.
Harley Benson is still getting over her ex when she runs into a man who's going to change her life completely...even though she has no idea who he is at first. Finding out who he is doesn't make her want him though as she thinks the football player is a player off the field too and ignores his efforts to get her to go out with him...at least at first. After a slow burn build-up he finally proves himself to her, but just as she becomes willing to put her heart into his keeping, fate intervenes to leave her doubting herself once again in a charming and hard-fought journey to HEA. Harley's a wonderful heroine, one who's very easy to relate to as her life is full of realistic hiccups that has her rolling with the punches. She's kind hearted, immensely likable, and so worthy of someone as loving as Lucas. I was definitely rooting for her every step of the way.
From the first page to the last this was a sweet and sensual journey full of witty banter and charming interludes. I normally like my romances with more steam, but the slow-burn here worked completely for me. The journey is what made this story such a delight and each word and deed coming from Lucas made this story better and better, so I found that I didn't miss the sizzle that much. The speed bump to their happiness is one that is surprising and is luckily resolved without too much annoyance...and it allowed Lucas to once again show why he's the quintessential book boyfriend. Along with a wonderful main couple was the equally wonderful Sophie, Harley's best friend and subtle matchmaker when it comes to the burgeoning couple. She was a strong support to Harley and I found her to be someone I'd love to be friends with, someone I truly hope gets her own story one day. Ms. Rose crafted a definite winner here and while this was my first book of hers it won't be the last!
My rating for this is an A-.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Carina loves everything about romance. To her, it’s the little things that matter. She also believes in insta-love, since she knew her husband was the one the first day she met him.
When it comes to books, she uses them as an escape from reality...to get swept away. Carina hopes her words do the same for her readers.
She’s a mother and wife and loves spending time with her family. She enjoys meeting new people, traveling, reading, watching sports, and, of course, relaxing on a beach.
Carina looks forward to sharing more love stories in her future novels.
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